A Douglas World Cruiser taxis on Lake Washington before the start of the around-the-world flight.

A Douglas World Cruiser taxis on Lake Washington before the start of the around-the-world flight.

Photo: National Archives

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The Douglas World Cruisers above Seward, Alaska.

The Douglas World Cruisers above Seward, Alaska.

Photo: National Archives

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The original caption reads: "Major F. L. Martin and Sgt. Harvey, taken on return to civilization after being lost in Alaska for 10 days when plane crashed into the side of a mountain."

The original caption reads: "Major F. L. Martin and Sgt. Harvey, taken on return to civilization after being lost in Alaska for 10 days when plane crashed into the side of a mountain."

Photo: National Archives

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The Douglas World Cruise pilots pose with hosts in an unidentified location.

The Douglas World Cruise pilots pose with hosts in an unidentified location.

Photo: San Diego Air And Space Museum Archive

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The World Cruisers land at Kagoshima, Japan, after the first aerial crossing of the Pacific Ocean. Japanese children on the shore sang "My Country 'Tis of Thee" as the pilots landed.

The World Cruisers land at Kagoshima, Japan, after the first aerial crossing of the Pacific Ocean. Japanese children on the shore sang "My Country 'Tis of Thee" as the pilots landed.

Photo: National Archives

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This photo lists Japanese locations the Douglas World Cruisers visited in May and June 1924.

This photo lists Japanese locations the Douglas World Cruisers visited in May and June 1924.

Photo: San Diego Air And Space Museum Archive

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The Douglas World Cruiser Chicago takes on fuel in Japanese waters.

The Douglas World Cruiser Chicago takes on fuel in Japanese waters.

Photo: San Diego Air And Space Museum Archive

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The pilots from the Douglas World Cruise drink with hosts.

The pilots from the Douglas World Cruise drink with hosts.

Photo: San Diego Air And Space Museum Archive

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The New Orleans gets serviced in Allahabad, India.

The New Orleans gets serviced in Allahabad, India.

Photo: National Archives

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Oil covers the New Orleans after landing in Karachi, India.

Oil covers the New Orleans after landing in Karachi, India.

Photo: National Archives

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A smoke break.

A smoke break.

Photo: San Diego Air And Space Museum Archive

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Equipment that the Douglas World Cruisers carried.

Equipment that the Douglas World Cruisers carried.

Photo: San Diego Air And Space Museum Archive

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Equipment that the Douglas World Cruisers carried.

Equipment that the Douglas World Cruisers carried.

Photo: San Diego Air And Space Museum Archive

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Lt. Lowell Smith stows gear in the Douglas World Cruiser Chicago.

Lt. Lowell Smith stows gear in the Douglas World Cruiser Chicago.

Photo: San Diego Air And Space Museum Archive

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Detail of a Douglas World Cruiser.

Detail of a Douglas World Cruiser.

Photo: San Diego Air And Space Museum Archive

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A view into the cockpit of a Douglas World Cruiser.

A view into the cockpit of a Douglas World Cruiser.

Photo: San Diego Air And Space Museum Archive

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A view into the cockpit of a Douglas World Cruiser.

A view into the cockpit of a Douglas World Cruiser.

Photo: San Diego Air And Space Museum Archive

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The Douglas World Cruisers in flight.

The Douglas World Cruisers in flight.

Photo: San Diego Air And Space Museum Archive

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The original caption reads: "Gobs from U.S.S. Richmond—getting ready to put the 'New Orleans' on the beach."

The original caption reads: "Gobs from U.S.S. Richmond—getting ready to put the 'New Orleans' on the beach."

Photo: National Archives

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The Douglas World Cruiser Boston is shown on Aug. 3, 1924.

The Douglas World Cruiser Boston is shown on Aug. 3, 1924.

Photo: San Diego Air And Space Museum Archive

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The U.S.S. Billingsley tows the Douglas World Cruiser Boston near the Faroe Islands.

The U.S.S. Billingsley tows the Douglas World Cruiser Boston near the Faroe Islands.

Photo: San Diego Air And Space Museum Archive

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The Douglas World Cruiser Chicago in flight.

The Douglas World Cruiser Chicago in flight.

Photo: U.S. Army/Wikimedia Commons

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Lt. Lowell Smith (right) and others pose with a painting of the "Belle of Iceland" in in Reykjavik, Iceland. Next to Smith is Italian pilot Antonio Locatelli, who briefly joined the World Cruisers before crashing in the Atlantic.

Lt. Lowell Smith (right) and others pose with a painting of the "Belle of Iceland" in in Reykjavik, Iceland. Next to Smith is Italian pilot Antonio Locatelli, who briefly joined the World Cruisers before

Exactly 90 years ago, on March 17, 1923, four Douglas World Cruiser airplanes, carrying eight crewmembers, took off from Santa Monica, Calif. bound for Seattle, where they would start the first around-the-world flight.

Douglas Aircraft Co. built five World Cruisers -- a prototype and four production airplanes -- specifically for the U.S. Army Air Service's circumnavigation mission. Starting with the DT-2 torpedo bomber Douglas had built for the Navy, the company boosted the fuel capacity from 115 gallons to 644 gallons, attached a different vertical tail with extra bracing struts, brought the pilot and flight mechanic cockpits closer together to improve communication, provided two different-sized radiators (the larger one for use in the tropics) and designed an undercarriage that could easily be changed from wheels to floats, according to a Boeing writeup (Douglas eventually became part of Boeing).

The airplane had a wingspan of 50 feet, was 35 feet, 6 inches long and 13 feet, 7 inches high, weighed 8,180 pounds, and could fly as high as 5,000 feet and as far as 2,200 miles, at a speed of up to 103 MPH.

Around the entire globe, airfields had to be scouted out or water landings planned, sometimes in areas where the locals had never seen planes or heard of their existence. Where airfields did not exist, the Navy would provide ships for safety and logistic support for water landings. The diplomatic corps had to obtain permission from 22 separate countries. The recent revolution in the Soviet Union hampered planning because the United States did not recognize the new government there, and so the route was adjusted south over the lower parts of Asia.

In Seattle, Boeing exchanged the planes' wheels for pontoon floats and the airplanes were christened (using water, it was Prohibition) with the names of four U.S. cities -- Chicago, New Orleans, Boston and Seattle -- representing the north, south, east and west of the country.

The airplanes took off from Sand Point, on Lake Washington, on April 6, bound for Alaska. On April 30, the Seattle crashed into an Alaskan mountainside amid fog. Maj. Frederick Martin, the flight commander, and mechanic Sgt. Alva Harvey walked 10 days through the frozen wilderness to Dutch Harbor.

The other three World Cruisers continued the trip, with Lt. Lowell Smith, pilot of the Chicago, in command. Lt. Leigh Wade piloted the Boston, while Lt. Erik Nelson flew the New Orleans.

They completed the first-ever flight across the Pacific, landing in Kagoshima, Japan, after an unscheduled stop at a Soviet island to avoid a storm.

Sites around the world had been equipped with 15 extra engines, 14 sets of floats and duplicates of all airframe parts. After reaching Calcutta, India (now Kolkata) on June 26, the floats were changed out for wheels.

Associated Press reporter Linton Wells stowed away in the Boston's baggage compartment from Calcutta to Allahabad and then tucked himself back in, with the crew's permission, to Karachi, according to the National Archives writeup.

The planes continued across Asia and Europe, landing in Paris on Bastille Day. In Orkney Island, Scotland, they changed back to pontoons and took off across the Atlantic on July 30.

The Boston crashed into the ocean with an oil leak on Aug. 3 and then capsized while being towed. The crew was rescued and rejoined the trip in Nova Scotia, flying the prototype, which was renamed the Boston II.

The adventurers landed back in Seattle, wingtip to wingtip, on Sept. 28, after in six months and six days, 371 hours of flying time, 27,553 miles and stops in 28 countries.